Fact Check: Modi announces special aid for Taliban in Israeli Parliament? No, clip is AI-manipulated
A video claiming to show PM Narendra Modi announcing a special aid package for the Taliban during his speech at the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, is going viral.
By - M Ramesh Naik
Claim:The video shows PM Modi announcing an aid package for the Taliban in Afghanistan for the deadly attack allegedly carried out by the Pakistani Army.
Fact:False. PM Modi made no such remarks. The viral clip is AI-manipulated.
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel on February 25 for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in defence, trade, innovation and strategic affairs. During the visit, PM Modi addressed the Knesset, highlighting the deepening India–Israel partnership.
Amid this, a video began circulating on social media claiming that PM Modi announced a special aid package for the Afghanistan Taliban during his address.
In the viral clip, PM Modi can allegedly be heard referring to a recent attack in Afghanistan and announcing a special redevelopment package, while describing Taliban leader Hibatullah as a ‘dear friend.’ The video further claims that India and Israel would ensure Afghanistan’s security against terrorist hubs in the neighbourhood.
An X user shared the clip with the caption BREAKING: Indian PM Narendra Modi announced a special aid package for the Afghanistan Taliban during a speech at the Knesset, with backing from Israel. India and Israel say they are committed to ensuring Afghanistan’s security and stability.” (Archive)
What did PM Modi actually say?
Fact Check
NewsMeter found the claim to be false. PM Modi made no such remarks during his Knesset address.
No credible reports of such comments
Keyword searches using combinations of “Modi,” “Knesset,” “Afghanistan,” “Taliban,” “aid package,” and “Pakistan attack” did not yield any credible media reports suggesting that PM Modi mentioned Afghanistan, the Taliban, or any aid package during his speech.
A review of official communications and verified statements from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs also showed no reference to the alleged remarks.
Official transcript debunks claim
We reviewed the official transcript of the speech released by the Ministry of External Affairs on February 25. The address focuses on India–Israel cooperation in defence, innovation, counter-terrorism efforts, and shared democratic values. There is no mention of Afghanistan, the Taliban, Pakistan, or any special aid package.
Original video traced
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral clip led us to the original livestream uploaded by the Israeli Government Press Office on YouTube. The broadcast contains the full, unedited address delivered by Modi at the Knesset.
A detailed review of the complete speech confirms that PM Modi did not make any remarks about Afghanistan, the Taliban, a Pakistani Army attack or an aid package. Instead, he expressed solidarity with Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, and emphasised global cooperation to combat it.
Signs of AI-manipulation
A comparison between the viral clip and the original footage reveals clear discrepancies.
The audio in the viral video shows mismatched tone, pacing and voice modulation, suggesting that authentic visuals were overlaid with manipulated or AI-generated audio.
We extracted the audio from the viral clip and analysed it using Deepfake-O-Meter. Four independent detectors flagged the voice as likely AI-generated, with high confidence scores.
The viral video claiming that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special aid package for the Afghanistan Taliban in the Israeli Parliament is manipulated. The original speech contains no such remarks.
Therefore, the claim is false.
